Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yoclaire’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Yoclaire’, characterized by its upright plant habit; dark green-colored foliage; freely and uniformly flowering habit; decorative-type inflorescences; attractive white-colored ray florets; response time about 61 days; strong peduncles; and good postproduction longevity.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Yoclaire’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium, commercially grown as a cut flower and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Yoclaire’.

The new Chrysanthemum is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Salinas, Calif. and Alva, Fla. The objective of the program is to create and develop new cut Chrysanthemum cultivars having inflorescences with desirable floret coloration and good inflorescence form and substance.

The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in January, 2000, in Salinas, Calif. of the Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Albany, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,595, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number 1038, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. in March, 2001. The selection of this plant was based on its desirable ray floret color and good inflorescence form and substance.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. since May, 2001, has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Yoclaire have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Yoclaire’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Yoclaire’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum:

-   -   1. Upright plant habit.     -   2. Dark green-colored foliage.     -   3. Freely and uniformly flowering habit.     -   4. Decorative-type inflorescences that are about 6.7 cm in         diameter.     -   5. Attractive white-colored ray florets.     -   6. Response time about 61 days.     -   7. Strong peduncles.     -   8. Good postproduction longevity with inflorescences and foliage         maintaining good substance and color for about two weeks in an         interior environment.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the female parent, the cultivar Albany, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are taller than plants of the         cultivar Albany.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have longer peduncles than         plants of the cultivar Albany.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the cultivar Albany         differ in ray floret color as plants of the cultivar Albany have         creamy white-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have incurved ray florets         whereas plants of the male parent selection do not have incurved         ray florets.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the male parent selection         differ in ray floret coloration as plants of the male parent         selection have light pink-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Yoshine, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,832. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Yoshine in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered earlier than plants         of the cultivar Yoshine.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had larger inflorescences         than plants of the cultivar Yoshine.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had incurved ray florets         whereas plants of the cultivar Yoshine did not have incurved ray         florets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Chrysanthemum.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering stem of ‘Yoclaire’.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Yoclaire’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Bogota, Colombia during the summer in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Chrysanthemum production. During the production of the cut flowers, day temperatures ranged from 20° C. to 25° C., night temperatures ranged from 4° C. to 9° C. and light levels ranged from 3,000 to 4,000 footcandles. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. The photographs and measurements were taken when plants were about two months old from planting.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar     Yoclaire. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar             Albany, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,595.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number 1038, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About ten to 14 days with soil             temperatures of about 18° C. to 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance.—Herbaceous decorative-type cut flower.         -   Flowering stem description.—Aspect: Erect. Length: About             124 cm. Spray diameter: About 13 cm. Stem diameter: About             5.5 mm. Internode length: About 3 cm. Texture: Pubescent;             longitudinally ridged. Color: 147B.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate; simple. Length:             About 5.5 cm. Width: About 3.8 cm. Apex: Acuminate. Base:             Truncate. Margin: Palmately lobed; serrate; sinuses parallel             to slightly divergent. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Pubescent; veins prominent on lower surface. Color:             Developing foliage, upper surface: 147A. Developing foliage,             lower surface: Slightly more gray than 147A. Fully expanded             foliage, upper surface: 147A; venation, 147B. Fully expanded             foliage, lower surface: Darker than 147B; venation, 147B.             Petiole: Length: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper             and lower surfaces: 147B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Decorative-type inflorescence form with incurved             elongated oblong-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on             terminals, arising from leaf axils. Ray and disc florets             develop acropetally on a capitulum. Uniform flowering habit.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural conditions, plant flower             in the autumn/winter in the Northern Hemisphere. At other             times of the year, inflorescence initiation and development             can be induced under short day/long night conditions (at             least 13.5 hours of darkness). Plants exposed to two weeks             of long day/short night conditions after planting followed             by photoinductive short day/long night conditions flower             about 61 days later.         -   Postproduction longevity.—In an interior environment,             inflorescences and foliage will maintain good color and             substance for about two weeks in an interior environment.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering habit, about             six inflorescences per stem develop.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 6.7 cm. Depth (height):             About 3.2 cm. Disc diameter: About 4 mm. Receptacle             diameter: About 2.5 cm. Receptacle height: About 9 mm.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Shape: Ovoid. Height: About 1.6 cm.             Diameter: About 1.5 cm. Color: 157B.         -   Ray florets.—Shape: Elongated oblong to ligulate. Surface:             Concave. Aspect: Incurved. Length: About 4 cm. Width: About             9 mm. Apex: Emarginate. Base: Fused. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous; velvety; longitudinally ridged. Number of ray             florets per inflorescence: About 205 arranged in about 16             whorls. Color: When opening, upper and lower surfaces: 155D.             Fully opened, upper surface: More white than 155D. Fully             opened, lower surface: 155D.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular, elongated. Length: About 3 mm.             Diameter: About 1 mm. Number of disc florets per             inflorescence: About 20; inconspicuous. Color: Apex: Close             to 7B. Mid-section: Close to 7D. Base: Close to 157A.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence/arrangement: About 28             arranged in about four whorls. Length: About 8 mm. Width:             About 3 mm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous.             Texture, lower surface: Pubescent. Color, upper surface:             Close to 146A. Color, lower surface: Close to 147A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 18.6 cm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm.             Angle: About 30° from vertical. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Pubescent; longitudinally ridged. Color: Close to 148A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: None observed. Gynoecium:             Pistil length: About 6 mm. Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma             color: Close to 13A. Style length: About 4 mm. Style color:             Close to 145D. Ovary color: Close to 157A.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to     Chrysanthemums has not been observed on plants grown under     commercial conditions. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have     demonstrated good tolerance to low temperatures of about 4° C. and     high temperatures of about 35° C. 

1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yoclaire’ as illustrated and described. 